Cursor Setup and Interface Overview

The fastest way to understand what an AI-powered IDE can do is to have one running in front of you. In this lesson, you will download and install Cursor, bring your existing editor settings across from VS Code, and get comfortable with the interface before you start using the AI features in earnest.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a fully working Cursor installation with your preferred themes, extensions, and keyboard shortcuts in place, and you will know your way around every part of the interface.

What You'll Learn

• Where to download Cursor and how to install it on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• How to import your VS Code settings, extensions, and keybindings in one step
• How to navigate the interface: editor, sidebar, terminal, and AI panels
• The key differences you will notice immediately compared to VS Code
• How to sign in and choose between the free tier and Cursor Pro
• How to confirm that the AI features are active and working

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Downloading Cursor

Cursor is available at cursor.com. The download page automatically detects your operating system and offers the correct installer. As of 2026, Cursor supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.

The download is a standard installer — there is no package manager command required, though community-maintained packages exist for tools like Homebrew on macOS and various Linux package managers if you prefer that route.

Checking System Requirements

Cursor shares its system requirements with VS Code, since it is built on the same foundation:

• macOS: 10.15 (Catalina) or later, both Intel and Apple Silicon supported
• Windows: Windows 10 version 1903 or later, 64-bit
• Linux: Most modern distributions; 64-bit recommended. GLIBC 2.28 or later.

Cursor works well on machines with 8 GB of RAM and becomes noticeably more responsive on machines with 16 GB or more, particularly when using Agent mode on large projects.

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Installing on macOS

Once the .dmg file downloads:

1. Open the .dmg file by double-clicking it
2. Drag the Cursor icon into your Applications folder
3. Open Cursor from Applications or Launchpad
4. On first launch, macOS may display a security warning because Cursor is downloaded from the internet. Click Open to proceed.

If macOS blocks the app with a "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified" message, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway next to the Cursor entry.

Tip: Add Cursor to PATH on macOS

Cursor can install a cursor command in your terminal so you can open projects directly from the command line:

1. Open Cursor
2. Press Cmd+Shift+P to open the Command Palette
3. Type shell command and select Shell Command: Install 'cursor' command in PATH

After this, you can run cursor . from any project directory to open it in Cursor, the same way code . works with VS Code.

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Installing on Windows

The Windows installer is a standard .exe setup file:

1. Run the downloaded installer
2. Accept the license agreement
3. Choose your installation directory (the default C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Programs\Cursor is fine for most users)
4. Optionally add a desktop shortcut
5. Click Install and wait for the process to complete
6. Click Finish — Cursor will launch automatically

Windows Defender SmartScreen may display a warning on first run because Cursor is a relatively new application. Click More info and then Run anyway to proceed.

Tip: Open from the Command Line on Windows

After installation, cursor and cursor . commands work in both Command Prompt and PowerShell, provided the installation directory was added to PATH during setup. If the commands are not found, you can add the Cursor binary directory to your PATH manually through System Properties > Environment Variables.

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Installing on Linux

Cursor provides an AppImage for Linux, which is a self-contained format that works across most distributions without needing to install dependencies:

1. Download the .AppImage file
2. Make it executable: chmod +x cursor-*.AppImage
3. Run it: ./cursor-*.AppImage

Some users prefer to integrate the AppImage with their desktop environment using a tool like appimaged or by manually creating a .desktop entry. Cursor's website includes instructions for doing this.

For distributions that use apt or rpm, check the Cursor documentation for current instructions, as the team has expanded package availability over time.

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Importing Your VS Code Settings

The most welcoming thing about Cursor is how easy it is to carry your existing VS Code configuration across. Because Cursor is built on the same core as VS Code (the editor platform called Code OSS), it can read VS Code's settings files directly.

On first launch, Cursor will display a welcome dialog offering to import your VS Code configuration. This import covers:

• Settings — all your editor preferences (font size, tab settings, format on save, etc.)
• Extensions — every extension installed in VS Code is re-installed in Cursor
• Keybindings — your keyboard shortcuts transfer exactly
• Themes — your current color theme and icon theme
• Snippets — custom code snippets you have created

To trigger the import:

1. On first launch, click Import VS Code Settings when prompted
2. Cursor locates your VS Code profile automatically
3. The process takes between a few seconds and a couple of minutes depending on how many extensions you have

If you miss the prompt on first launch, you can trigger it again from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux): search for Import VS Code Settings.

What If You Do Not Use VS Code?

If you are coming from a different editor — JetBrains, Vim, Emacs, or another tool — Cursor still works perfectly. You will simply configure it from scratch. Cursor supports the same popular keybinding presets as VS Code (including Vim mode via the VSCodeVim extension), so even non-VS Code users can make it feel familiar quickly.

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The Interface Layout

Once Cursor is open and you have imported your settings, the interface will look extremely familiar if you know VS Code. Here is a quick orientation.

The Activity Bar

The narrow vertical strip on the far left is the Activity Bar. It contains icons for switching between major panels:

• Explorer — your file tree
• Search — search across all files in your project
• Source Control — git status and staging
• Extensions — browse and manage extensions
• Cursor Chat — the dedicated AI chat panel (this is new, not in plain VS Code)

The Sidebar

Clicking an Activity Bar icon opens the Sidebar, which shows that panel's content. The Explorer sidebar, for example, shows your folder and file tree for the project you have open.

The Editor Area

The large central area is where files open for editing. You can have multiple files open in tabs, split the editor horizontally or vertically, and pin files to keep them open. This is identical to VS Code.

The AI Chat Panel

This is the most prominent new element compared to VS Code. Cursor's AI Chat panel can be opened with Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux). It opens as a panel on the right side of the screen.

The Chat panel is where you have conversations with the AI about your code — asking questions, requesting changes, and getting explanations. You can reference files, functions, and symbols directly in the chat using the @ symbol (more on this in later lessons).

The Terminal

The integrated terminal is at the bottom of the screen and works identically to VS Code's terminal. Open it with Ctrl+` on both platforms.

The Status Bar

The bar at the very bottom of the window shows useful information: the current git branch, any errors or warnings, the language mode of the active file, and the AI model currently in use (visible on the right side of the status bar).

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Signing In and Choosing a Plan

Cursor requires an account to use the AI features. On first launch, a sign-in prompt will appear after you have been through the initial setup steps.

Creating an Account

Click Sign In in the welcome screen or from the Cursor menu. You can sign up with:

• An email address and password
• A Google account
• A GitHub account

Choose whichever is most convenient. The account is used to manage your subscription and to sync settings across machines.

Free Tier vs. Cursor Pro

Cursor offers a free tier and a paid Pro subscription.

Free Tier:

• A limited number of AI requests per month (the exact count varies and Cursor updates this periodically)
• Access to slower or smaller AI models
• No Agent mode or limited Agent access depending on current free tier terms

Cursor Pro:

• A generous monthly quota of "fast" requests using the most powerful available models
• Unlimited "slow" requests (processed in a shared queue, still the same models)
• Full access to Agent mode
• Access to multiple AI models with a model picker (GPT-4o, Claude, and others)
• Priority support

For learning purposes, the free tier is sufficient to explore all the features covered in this course. If you find yourself using Cursor heavily for real work, Pro is worth evaluating — the quota on fast requests refreshes monthly and is enough for typical daily development use.

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Verifying That AI Features Are Working

Once you are signed in, the AI features should activate immediately. Here is a quick way to verify everything is working:

1. Open a new file or an existing project
2. Open the Chat panel with Cmd+L or Ctrl+L
3. Type a simple question like "What is a React hook?" and press Enter
4. The AI should respond within a few seconds

If the chat is unresponsive or displays an error, check:

• You are signed in — click the account icon in the bottom left corner
• You have not exhausted your free tier quota — the usage meter is visible in the account menu
• Your internet connection is active — Cursor's AI features require an internet connection to reach the model servers

For inline code suggestions (Cursor's "Tab" feature), open a code file and start typing. When a grey suggestion appears, press Tab to accept it. If no suggestions appear after a second or two of typing, ensure the Tab feature is enabled in Cursor Settings > Features > Cursor Tab.

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Key Takeaways

• Cursor is available from cursor.com and installs like a standard application on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• On first launch, Cursor offers to import all your VS Code settings, extensions, keybindings, and themes in a single step
• The interface is nearly identical to VS Code, with two main additions: the AI Chat panel (opened with Cmd/Ctrl+L) and the model picker in the status bar
• You need a free Cursor account to use AI features; the free tier is sufficient for learning, and Cursor Pro offers higher quotas and full model access
• Verify your setup by opening the Chat panel, asking a question, and confirming you receive a response
• The cursor . shell command lets you open any project in Cursor from the terminal, the same way code . works with VS Code